What Can We Learn From How We Treat Hospitalized Children?

Writer and pediatrician Perri Klass, MD, has long brought her sensibilities as a physician and parent to her writing, usually focused on the health needs of children. In a recent blog post for the New York Times, Dr. Klass asks why certain aspects of adult hospital care, including reduced blood draws and increased family time, aren’t as well thought-out as they often are for hospitalized children. “Illness, pain and the shadows of disability and death — all hospital familiars — make all of us vulnerable, at any age, and reassurance and comfort are welcome,” says Klass.